“New ideas must use old buildings”
Jane Jacobs
Forts on the Northern Coast of Goa – Part III – Reis Magos Fort
You may wonder what can be so interesting about another 400-year-old fort in a region that has many similar structures. I’ll say it is a perfect bridge between the foreign past and the local present. The Reis Magos Fort, and Church, across the river Mandovi from Panaji, are the oldest remaining edifices in Goa. Looking majestic over the Bardez peninsula, this fort on the Northern Coast of Goa brings history, faith, and art in perfect unison.
Lessons in History
1493 AD is the first time this location got attention from the Sultanate of Bijapur, as a military outpost. The Portuguese overtook the Sultanate and recognised the strategic significance of this location. In 1551 AD, to protect the capital of Velha Goa, they commissioned a fort to be built here. But the frequent Dutch attacks stretched the fort’s resources to its maximum. One major outcome of this led to the construction of Fort Aguada (read the previous post).
Typical of the practice, the Portuguese build the church over a Hindu temple. Lion figures at the beginning of the steps leading to the church doors are a sign. Five doorways manned by slender Corinthian columns add a royal grace to the entire structure. Opposite the main church is the shrine of Our Lady of Good Health. It stands at the exact spot where the first outpost stood.
Origins
Before getting within the walls, it’s important to understand where it all began. Right on the road next to the ticketing office and parking, is the Reis Magos Church. The fort and the entire village get their name ‘Reis Magos’, meaning ‘The Three Wise Men’, from this. Honouring the Kings of Magi from the Bible, the church is one of three in Goa that celebrate the offering of gifts by them to Infant Jesus.
Typical of the practice, the Portuguese build the church over a Hindu temple. Lion figures at the beginning of the steps leading to the church doors are a sign. Five doorways manned by slender Corinthian columns add a royal grace to the entire structure. Opposite the main church is the shrine of Our Lady of Good Health. It stands at the exact spot where the first outpost stood.
Architectural Elegance – Reis Magos Fort
Built with laterite stone throughout, the fort structures bear signs of its usage as a military stronghold. Death holes in the ceilings, slopes to roll cannons around, large bastions, cylindrical watchtowers, steep steps, and a sweeping view of the Mandovi and the Arabian Sea.
It also served as a prison from the 1900s until the mid-20th century. At its zenith, this command hosted 33 cannons within its walls. Being a fully occupied fort for most times, it provides for a water storage facility that makes use of a natural spring. And a quiet cemetery just outside the fort walls.
Today, one building within is alive with the sketches of Mario Miranda, Goa’s renowned cartoonist, while the other echoes with nationalist fervour and is the Goa Freedom Fighters’ Gallery. The Governor’s room holds a scale model of the Reis Magos Fort. It is indeed heartening to see the restoration bring the local history alive through its focused efforts here.
With Coco Beach close-by and Panjim a short drive away, the Reis Magos Church and Fort on the northern coast of Goa is the fastest ticket to experience art, faith, and history in all its glory.
